


Mirkwood Secrets

by IgnobleBard



Category: Lord of the Rings - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4321089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IgnobleBard/pseuds/IgnobleBard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Are Legolas and Elrond sneaking around behind Thranduil's back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mirkwood Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the birthday of my pal and fandom running buddy Thranduil Oropherion Redux, or as I like to call him, Randy.

Legolas looked carefully up and down the long hall before stealing quickly into Elrond’s room. The night guard would be making rounds within the next couple of hours so he had to make this quick.

It was difficult to get away. After a couple of glasses of wine and a few games of chess he said he was going to turn in early. Thranduil had given him a curious look but did not question him. It wasn’t unprecedented, Legolas did turn in early from time to time, mostly after coming back from patrol, but he’d had this month off so it was rather unusual. It couldn’t be helped though; it had to be tonight, despite whatever suspicion it might arouse in his maddeningly perceptive sire. 

Legolas hoped he didn’t suspect, or worse, know his plans, but it was difficult to tell. Thranduil was hard to read. Yet, Legolas thought, his father seemed able to read him easily enough, even though he had been practicing since childhood the art of inscrutability the elders of his race possessed. He wondered if the ability came with time or if having children was the key to mastery. 

As he entered the room he saw Elrond ensconced in a carved oak sitting chair with a yellow, spider-silk cushion before a cold fireplace. A beeswax candle burned on the table beside him to provide reading light. He was perusing a scroll but when Legolas entered he rose with a smile, stepping forward to greet him.

Legolas breathed a sigh of relief and embraced him.

“I see you were able to slip away,” Elrond said.

“I did, but it wasn’t easy, and I think father might suspect something. Not only does he keep a watchful eye, he has spies everywhere. I don’t think I was followed but. . .” He shrugged. Legolas kept his voice low as he spoke and Elrond followed suit.

Elrond raised an eyebrow. “Indeed. Well that explains the secrecy, though I’m a bit surprised your father is so wary within his own halls.”

“It’s not wariness exactly. He believes that a king who doesn’t know what’s going on under his own roof is a poor ruler,” Legolas said. “And he inspires loyalty which as often as not translates into the relaying of information. As difficult as this sometimes makes things I can’t say he’s wrong.”

“Oh, I agree as well,” Elrond hastened to reply. “We all have our methods of keeping tabs.”

Legolas grinned. “I’m sure yours are much more subtle. Did you ever catch Arwen or the twins sneaking around like this?”

Elrond smiled at the memory. “I did once, Arwen and Elladan, but I turned a blind eye. Didn’t like it but didn’t want to spoil their fun.”

“I sometimes think father lives to spoil mine,” Legolas said, but there was an affectionate gleam in his eye.

“He won’t have the chance tonight,” Elrond said. “Not if we’re quick. We should probably get to it.”

“Yes, we don’t have much time.”

Elrond lit a few more candles, which provided more than enough light. Legolas reached into his trousers and they began. There was a bit of discussion beforehand followed by some urgent whispering and a lot of rolling and flying feathers. Finally it was over. Legolas felt like he’d put in a hard day on patrol he was so tired, yet Elrond was so energized by their activities it was difficult for Legolas to call a halt.

The night watch rapped on the door and they both jumped a little. Elrond cleared his throat and called out the all clear while Legolas was silent, barely breathing. Legolas knew he had to get back to his rooms quickly before the watchman made it to the royal quarters.

“That was amazing,” Legolas said when the watch resumed his rounds. “I knew I had chosen wisely.”

“I only hope your father agrees,” Elrond said, clapping him on the shoulder and handing him the scroll.

Legolas took the documents he’d brought and slipped them back into his pockets, but the scroll he tied with a green ribbon. “He will. This is something I’ve wanted to give him for a long time.”

The next day was Thranduil’s begetting day celebration. Legolas had managed to collude with the staff and court to make the party a surprise, and he was confident that the gift he had produced, with Elrond’s help, would be the highlight of the party for his father. 

Thranduil didn’t like surprises as a rule, but with Legolas it was different. He smiled indulgently and made a short speech, thanking everyone involved for their efforts and admonishing them teasingly for their stealth in keeping the secret of the party. As he spoke, Legolas looked to Galion who gave him a wink. Legolas raised an eyebrow and Galion shook his head almost imperceptibly. Dammit, Thranduil had known all along, but it wasn’t Galion who had given it away, Legolas knew that. He resolved to spend the next couple of days running the guilty party to ground and warning them to be more careful in the future.

Oh, well, there was always his present. He hoped that to be a surprise at least. 

As it turned out, it was. Thranduil unrolled the scroll, his expression changing from mild curiosity to true astonishment. The scroll was a detailed family tree going back to the First Age. The names were written in beautiful calligraphic script in Sindarin by Elrond himself. Legolas had needed the help of the lore master for the research, though he had a few documents from the library to go by. He was going to write it out himself but Elrond had a much more decorative hand. He was so grateful the Lord of Imladris had come for a visit just before his father’s begetting day.

Legolas beamed at Thranduil’s reaction to his gift, though he felt a little sorry when he saw Thranduil fight to keep his composure as he read through the names. He knew how Thranduil hated showing sentimentality in front of his court. The king drew him into a bear hug and whispered his thanks, his voice slightly hoarse.

“The only better gift I have ever gotten is you,” he said. Legolas hugged him back tightly. Now he was the one fighting for self-control. He hadn’t run from this hall in tears since he was eight years old and wasn’t about to do so now.

“Let’s have some music!” Legolas shouted when they parted.

The musicians struck up a lively tune and the party began in earnest as the court paired up and began to dance. Legolas fielded quite a few requests from young ladies and made quite a few of his own. The feasting and dancing continued into the night until Legolas finally felt the evening’s festivities catch up to him. As the party began to break up Legolas looked for Thranduil, thinking he might have enough energy for a game of chess before bed, but his father was nowhere to be seen.

He was leaving the hall when Galion came over and caught his attention. “I’m afraid your father has turned in for the evening. He told me to give you his thanks for the best begetting day in long memory.”

“So I guess a game is out of the question. I wonder if Lord Elrond would be interested.”

“I fear he did not even outlast the king. He left hours ago. I think the excitement of our revels is too much for the Lord of Imladris.”

Legolas sighed. “One would expect him to have a little more stamina. Oh, well, there is that book I’ve been meaning to finish. Good night, Galion. Thank you for your work on this whole lavish affair. I know it had to be a balrog’s butt to coordinate.”

“No more taxing than my regular duties, sir. Good night.”

They parted and Legolas went back to his rooms. He read for another hour then turned in, smiling at the memory of his father’s face upon seeing his gift. With the perfect contentment a feast and a good glass of Dorwinion could always supply, he fell into an instant sleep filled with blissful dreams.

Far down beneath the great hall, in Thranduil’s rooms, the king and Elrond lay happily in each other’s arms after a most satisfying evening of their own.

“Do you think Legolas suspects?” Elrond asked after they both caught their respective breaths.

“Perhaps, but my son’s mind doesn’t work well to schemes and secrets. He’s a goodhearted boy, but not terribly intuitive where I’m concerned. Such is the way with parents and children.”

“True, and that is as it should be,” Elrond said. He twined his fingers in Thranduil’s golden locks and pulled him into a deep, sensual kiss.


End file.
